Cyclopentadienyl allyl palladium is an organopalladium compound with formula (C5H5)Pd(C3H5). This reddish solid is volatile with an unpleasant odor. It is soluble in common organic solvents. The molecule consists of a Pd centre sandwiched between a Cp and allyl ligands.

Preparation

This complex is produced by the reaction of allylpalladium chloride dimer with sodium cyclopentadienide:

Structure and reactions

The 18-electron complex adopts a half-sandwich structure with Cs symmetry, i.e., the molecule has a plane of symmetry. The complex can be decomposed readily by reductive elimination. The compound readily reacts with alkyl isocyanides to produce clusters with the approximate formula [Pd(CNR)2]n. It reacts with bulky alkyl phosphines to produce two-coordinated palladium(0) complexes: The compound has been used to deposit thin film chemical vapor deposition of metallic palladium.